Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2025

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) as defined by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). In the opinion of management, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all normal, recurring adjustments that are necessary to present fairly the results of the interim periods presented. The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Alector, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the full year. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2024, and the notes thereto, which are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 26, 2025.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. The Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to revenue recognition, manufacturing accruals, clinical accruals, fair value of assets and liabilities, income taxes uncertainties, stock-based compensation, and related assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, and short-term marketable securities. Cash and cash equivalents are deposited in checking and sweep accounts at financial institutions. Such deposits may, at times, exceed federally insured limits.

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash and cash equivalents. Cash equivalents, which consist of amounts invested in money market funds, are stated at fair value.

Restricted cash of $1.5 million relates to a letter of credit established for a lease entered into in June 2018. Restricted cash of $0.3 million was held as collateral to secure the use of corporate cards under a cash pledge agreement entered into in December 2024.

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows:


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2025		2024
	(In thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	37,973	$	72,552
Restricted cash		1,846		1,546
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	$	39,819	$	74,098

Marketable Securities

All marketable securities have been classified as “available-for-sale” and are carried at fair value, based upon quoted market prices. The Company considers its available-for-sale portfolio as available for use in current operations. Accordingly, the Company may classify certain investments as short-term marketable securities, even though the stated maturity date may be one year or more beyond the current balance sheet date. For available-for-sale debt securities, unrealized gains, net of any related tax effects, are excluded from earnings and are included in other comprehensive income and reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity until realized. The Company assesses available-for-sale debt securities on a quarterly basis to see if any unrealized loss is due to credit-related factors. Factors considered in determining whether an impairment is credit-related include the extent to which the investment’s fair value is less than its cost basis, declines in published credit ratings, changes in interest rates, and any other adverse factors related to the security. If it is determined that a credit-related impairment exists, the Company will measure the credit loss based on a discounted cash flows model. Credit-related impairments on available-for-sale debt securities are recognized as an allowance for credit losses with a corresponding adjustment to other income, net in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations. The unrealized loss position that is not credit-related is recorded, net of any related tax effects, in other comprehensive income until realized. There were no credit-related losses recognized for the periods presented.

The cost of securities sold is based on the specific-identification method. The amortized cost of securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity. In accordance with our investment policy, management invests in money market funds, U.S. treasury and agency securities, corporate bonds, certificates of deposit, and commercial paper. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, current and noncurrent prepaid expenses, accounts payable, payable to collaboration partner, and accrued liabilities. The Company's investments in marketable securities are measured at fair value. The Company’s other financial instruments approximate fair value due to their relatively short maturities.

For investments in marketable securities, the Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible. The Company determines the fair value of its financial instruments based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability in the principal or most advantageous market. When considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, the following fair value hierarchy distinguishes between observable and unobservable inputs, which are categorized in one of the following levels:

Level 1 – Inputs are unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date;

Level 2 – Inputs are observable, unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, unadjusted quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the related assets or liabilities; and

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are significant to the measurement of the fair value of the assets or liabilities that are supported by little or no market data.

Leases

The Company determines whether an arrangement is or contains a lease at the inception of the arrangement. Leases are recognized on the balance sheet as right-of-use assets and lease liabilities. Lease liabilities and their corresponding right-of-use assets are recorded based on the present value of lease payments over the expected lease term. The Company utilizes the appropriate incremental borrowing rate, which is the rate incurred to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment. Certain adjustments to the right-of-use asset may be required for items such as initial direct costs paid or incentives received and any prepaid or accrued rent. Rent expense for the operating lease is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term and is included in operating expenses on the statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Variable lease payments include lease operating expenses.

The Company excludes balance sheet recognition of operating leases having a term of 12 months or less (short-term leases) and does not separate lease components and non-lease components for its long-term leases.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when control of promised goods or services is transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services. In determining the appropriate amount of revenue to be recognized as the Company fulfills its obligations under contractual arrangements, the Company performs the following steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies the performance obligation. If it is determined that multiple performance obligations exist, the transaction price is allocated at the inception of the agreement to all identified performance obligations based on the relative standalone selling price (SSP). The relative SSP for each performance obligation is estimated using externally sourced evidence if it is available. If externally sourced evidence is not available, the Company uses its best estimate of the SSP for the performance obligation.

The Company recognizes collaboration revenue at a point in time if control of the promised good or service has been transferred to the customer. The Company recognizes collaboration revenue over time by measuring the progress toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation using an input measure. In order to recognize revenue over the research and development period, the Company measures actual costs incurred to date compared to the overall total expected costs to satisfy the performance obligation. Revenues are recognized as the program costs are incurred. The Company re-evaluates the estimate of expected costs to satisfy the performance obligation each reporting period.

Stock-based Compensation

Stock-based compensation is measured on the grant date based on the fair value of the awards. The fair value of options to purchase common stock is measured using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Stock-based compensation associated with restricted stock units (RSUs) is based on the fair value of the Company’s common stock on the grant date, which equals the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The Company recognizes expense over the vesting period of the awards. Expense for options and RSUs that vest based only on a service condition is recognized on a straight-line basis.

The fair value of RSUs with market conditions is estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation model. Assumptions and estimates utilized in the model include the stock price on grant date, risk-free interest rate, dividend yield, expected stock volatility, and estimated period to achieve the market condition. The expense is recognized based on continued employment of the participants, regardless of achievement of the market condition. Expense related to the RSUs with market conditions is recognized using the accelerated attribution method.

The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur for all awards.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive loss includes net loss and certain changes in stockholders’ equity that are the result of transactions and economic events other than those with stockholders. The Company’s only element of other comprehensive loss was net unrealized loss on marketable securities.

Long-term debt

Long-term debt is initially recognized at cost and presented net of original issue discount and debt issuance costs on the consolidated balance sheets. Amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs is recognized as interest expense over the period of the debt, using the effective interest rate method.

Segments

The Company operates in one segment. The Company’s chief operating decision maker (CODM), its Chief Executive Officer, manages the Company’s operations on a consolidated basis for purposes of allocating resources. When evaluating the Company’s financial performance, the CODM reviews total revenues, total expenses and expenses by function.

The table below is a summary of the segment profit or loss, including significant segment expenses (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2025			2024
Collaboration revenue		3.7			15.9
Less:
Compensation and benefits		16.6			18.6
Lab expenses and outside research services		3.3			3.3
Clinical supply costs		3.1			4.6
Clinical trials		7.0			14.3
Support functions		8.2			8.2
Other segment expenses(a)		10.2			10.6
Total operating expenses		48.4			59.6
Loss from operations		(44.7	)		(43.7	)
Other income, net		4.2			7.6
Segment and consolidated loss before income taxes		(40.5	)		(36.1	)

(a) Other segment expenses include consultants & contractor expense, contra-R&D expense for GSK collaboration, depreciation expense, impairment loss, restructuring expense, and stock-based compensation expense.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which expands disclosures in an entity’s income tax rate reconciliation table and disclosures regarding cash taxes paid both in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions. The update will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that this guidance will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

Alector, Inc. 10-Q